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Ask HN: Single Person startup/company?

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Re: Ask HN: Single Person startup/company?

#301

Post by tubularhells »

gorm wrote: post #125
ryanSrich wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you use the internet in 2016 without JavaScript?

Around 1% of users run without js. If you have a commercial site you will loose money and users if you don't think about this.

Around 1% of users run linux. If you have a commercial videogame, you will lose money and users if you don't think about this.

Now consider the ROI. I'm a full time linux user myself, and still I understand when someone says 'sorry but such a small market share is not worth bothering with.'

Re: Ask HN: Single Person startup/company?

#302

Post by warewolf »

chatmasta wrote: post #288
cheez wrote: post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one here is in some secret market that no one knows about. If you have no competitors, you're either a government sanctioned monopoly or in the wrong market.

That's definitely false.... there are thousands of niche markets with 1-5 competitors where each can make 5 figures per month. Why invite more competition? Also, it's not like you email your competitors and exchange revenue numbers.

I agree you shouldn't share the URL, someone could easily copy the startup or model. What I don't agree with is that someone would be able to execute it properly.

Re: Ask HN: Single Person startup/company?

#303

Post by udkl »

arc_of_descent wrote: post #278
udkl wrote: post #249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looks really good (Looked at the video) Have you done any testing with real users ? What exactly are your hopes for it ?

Thanks. Its in Beta release and I've started advertising using Facebook and Google Adwords. So users can test and send feedback. My aim is to first provide a complete web based music notation app. And ultimately a library of licks and phrases which users can utilize to aid in their compositions. Basically I've loads of ideas with this product. Build practice routines, i.e practice scales, maintain a practice schedule…

OK, one way of getting beta testers would be posting on Reddit ... though you would need to emphasize the beta part or there might be a backlash.

Other ways on the top of my head would be writing guest posts on other music related blogs or paying them to send it to their newsletters ....

You could also cheaply? target specific YouTube videos with your ad ...

Further, if you are new to copy writing for ads, cashvertising is a great book.

Re: Ask HN: Single Person startup/company?

#304

Post by warewolf »

sixQuarks wrote: post #231
cheez wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Example? Ways to reach you?

I don't want to give out URLs and names in a public forum, but I've started several 6-figure online businesses in different segments over the years. The one I'm focusing on now does about $400k/year in profit and I only have to put in about 5 hours per week, I'm basically retired at this point. I'm brimming with ideas - really good ideas, but I don't want to pursue them without dedicated partners. I want to build gre…

I find it crazy that you have the funds and those kinda revenues but can't find the talent. Don't take this wrong but could be people don't want to work with you. I don't know you but there's definitely something not right. It also could just be that most of the "WOW" Developers work on their own projects by themselves. If they really like you, your idea/concepts and you have the funds to support it, you shouldn't have a problem.

Re: Ask HN: Single Person startup/company?

#305

Post by pdimitar »

daveguy wrote: post #265
pdimitar wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your question deserves a whole thread for itself, but I hope I can clear some fog around it. Low technical debt mostly revolves around: (1) Keeping your code maintainable. Example: the framework you're using (like one for making a website, or JSON API, or accepting emails and triggering actions, etc.) gets a new version. You stop what you're doing and you go and upgrade . Why? Because the older version of a framework…

Thank you for this detailed and informative reply. I have bookmarked it and next time I see a discussion about technical debt on HN I will link to it. If my question needed its own thread, your answer needs its own stackoverflow page. Cheers.

You are very welcome. ^_^

Let me just point out that what I commented is a generalization and simply an excerpt of all the good practices I found during my [almost] 15 years of commercial experience.

Understanding your place in the world (namely what business value does your code bring) and worshipping communication -- even between your current self and your future self -- are what I found to be the gods I worship during my work, and it made me much more productive and valuable for my customers/employers.

Re: Ask HN: Single Person startup/company?

#306

Post by warewolf »

sixQuarks wrote: post #164
20years wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes 1000x. Marketing & sales are way harder than coding and I feel it is not focused on enough in discussions about starting a business.

I don't usually toot my own horn, but I'm really good at marketing and wish I could just find a good local designer/developer combo to do a startup with. I'm really tired of working with remote freelancers that don't do exceptional work, or they start off doing good work, then drift off into mediocre work. Admittedly, I'm not good at managing people, I just want to find people that work well on their own.

If you're looking for a UX & UI designer to help develope a concept further shoot me an email: emails in my bio.

Re: Ask HN: Single Person startup/company?

#307

Post by z3t4 »

throwaway58182 wrote: post #228
z3t4 wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. Even if you make the best software ever, getting your first 100-1000 paid customers is hard. But if your software is good, and you have 1000+ paid users, paste that point, your product will market itself. Or you could just continue to sell to the customers you already have. And even the most clueless entrepreneur will make money.

I wish this was true. Our existing customer base is very pleased with the product. But they don't influence others to purchase. We're a gnat in the loud circus of the market place. The product doesn't market itself because not enough people find out about it.

What are the advantages of your product compared to the others? What are the strengths of your company, and how can you use them? What is the immediate action needed for a step in the right direction?

Re: Ask HN: Single Person startup/company?

#309

Post by aws_ls »

matchagaucho wrote: post #159

Some numbers on my single-person company: Market: Add-on tools/plugins/components for enterprise software platforms. Customers: ~30 Growth rate: Adding about 1 new customer per month Revenue: $550K ($300K product / $250K consulting) Gross profit margin: 80% Costs are basically hosting, occasional marketing campaigns, some offshore development, and various SaaS subscriptions to operate the business. The product often…

> My wife increasingly spends more time on front/back-office tasks, so technically this is a 1.5 person company :-)

It was nice to hear about this, as my wife also helps me out in running my business. Its ultra important to have the buy-in of your significant other for these kind of operations.

In my case I have other developers as well. That's why can't claim to be a single person company. Although, there have been phases in its journey, where it has been just a 1.5 person company.

I am not as mobile (got some dependents) but cheers to the digital-nomad/lifestyle-biz kind of company. Work hard, but at your own pace. See movies in week day afternoons. Or spend entire days on HN/Reddit/twitter. Then feel guilty about it, and spend some days coding, and making some progress, has been my modus operandi.

Edit: Just to add one random but key point in single-person companies, is that you end up doing automation, automation and then some more automation. Cron jobs, alerts, actions, automated test scripts, backup scripts, data refresh scripts and so on. So then even if you grow, its a positive to have in your culture.

Re: Ask HN: Single Person startup/company?

#310

Post by justjimmy »

pieterhg wrote: post #298
kevindeasis wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great job man! You've mentioned something about automating. Can you tell me more about it and which you've decided to not use? As for competition, how do you specifically handle this?

Also one more answer: I think BECAUSE I work almost 100% alone, I work faster than big teams (the mythical man month thing). The stuff I make isn't top-notch, but it works just good enough for people to enjoy using it. It's not super hip flashy designed, but it does what users want it to do. I see many other (especially funded) startups build really flashy stuff with huge 20+ people teams. And it looks great but it's…

What are some of your competitors? Haven't come across any other sites like yours!
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